Project Hail Mary

• Produced and Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
• March 9, 2026 (Empire Leicester Square) / March 20, 2026 (US)
• Based on the 2021 novel Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

A middle school teacher awakens aboard an interstellar spacecraft with no memory of how he got there.

After viewing Project Hail Mary, the praise of the film is well deserved. It is humorous, heartfelt, filled with stunning imagery with likeable characters in a high stake yet grounded story. Narratively the story flits between the past and present as Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes from an induced coma and slowly recalls/pieces together what is going on. Never does it travel at a rapid pace. We get everything while never feeling like we’re getting everything.

It does not mistake cool visuals for real storytelling. This has some of the shortest establishing shots that I’ve seen in recent films. The movie is serious about telling its story and telling this story completely. The movement between past and present creates a more intriguing narrative than something linear ever could with this.

The effects were amazing. They communicate awe and wonder and are beautiful. Big idea science fiction, or what attempts that, needs to look pretty in some way. If you can’t communicate visually what viewers are experiencing is fantastical the idea that those involved are confronting the extraordinary will fall apart and the film will fail. Coinciding with that are believable sets which this has in abundance though the alien ship interior is a bit of a misstep for me. It communicates otherworldly but I cannot see it as technology. I wish Miller and Lord had taken some time to show aspects of the technology. A panel functioning on the ship or the like. We did see the interface Rocky created for the Hail Mary which expanded on his biology though.

There is plenty of humor, but directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller never turn this into blatant comedy. It never falls into a very serious drama either, managing to balance both into something that feels like real life. Rocky saying “fist my bump” over “fist bump” is something of a running gag that you can almost see as a joke between friends in its final in-story use.

Grace is not some impossibly perfect or seriously flawed character. Occasionally arrogant and firm on his views with a touch of humor that can become self-deprecating. What makes Gosling’s character engaging and entertaining along with the alien Rocky is that both characters step up to the challenge. It’s clear that neither he nor Rocky are the archetypal heroes. Both have their doubts and get scared. Grace wasn’t even supposed to be there and literally was kidnapped into the situation!

Mixed with elements of saving the world is a first contact story where the two that meet fumble their way across the species divide. Rocky is decidedly non-human instead of an actor in cosmetic appliances. Each is feeling the other out and learning to understand. I would liken it to two strangers who don’t speak the same language meeting for the first time.

This contains themes of honor, loss, duty, and most importantly, friendship. Grace and Rocky, despite their significant differences, form of bond that goes beyond a working relationship. They are more than friends. They’re essentially brothers having crossed a significant divide, based on a strong shared experience. Their chemistry is effortless and natural.

A plus for me is everybody’s likable. Too many modern characters are the type you would not even want to spend a silent elevator ride with. They’re just people trying to function in an extraordinary situation. And not every jerk turns out to be a jerk. It’s just an awkward first interaction. Carl (Lionel Boyce) can be a little stiff, but once he relaxes around Grace he’s a pretty cool guy that just needed to get comfortable before opening up. How many people do we know like that?

I’m by no means a scientist, but they did a good job of making the science plausible enough without resorting to the technobabble that can be found in classic Star Trek. Not taking a swipe there. It did pass the sniff test and some of it honestly went over my head.

I was moved by this movie. Credit to not only Gosling and the work on Rocky but that of the entire cast. It pulls you in not because of the situation but the characters. You feel their highs and lows. Good, thoughtful science-fiction is too rare. Project Hail Mary fills that gap superbly much to the credit of Miller and Lord.

Rocky putting his life on the line actually worried me! That is the quality of this film. Grace must also wrestle with his own moral dilemma which comes down to repaying Rocky in a way that may forever put home out of reach. What happens does not just impact the world but impacts the world of the characters.

Project Hail Mary is entertaining and exciting and humorous and dramatic and heartfelt. With likable heroes and excellent performances, it as close to a modern classic as you can get. Well worth multiple viewings.